Follow the Master (Part Two)

Daily Scripture Threshing for Sunday, March 13, 2022

Today’s Text: Luke 9:23-27

Key Verse: Luke 9:23 (ESV): “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Today’s passage is the most popular discipleship text of the Bible. It vividly portrays what a disciple primarily means in the mind of Christ: a dedicated follower who does not only diligently adhere to the teachings of Christ, but also imitates His lifestyle. Jewish disciples of most Rabbis follow their masters everywhere they went to learn their world, words, way, wisdom and work. The basic call of a disciple is learning the discipline of following — something deeper than learning through tutelage. It is learning through modeling and mimicking. It is becoming like Your master. Unfortunately, today’s so called disciples are full of learning and knowledge; but live almost totally contrary to the ways and lifestyle of their master.

The more our people learn, the more ignorant they seem to become of what it takes to follow Jesus. We would rather mimic human masters than Jesus, the Great Master Himself. We are simply unwilling to learn of Him and take up His yokes upon us. We are not happy to do what He did, live as He lived, love as He loved, forgive as He forgave, and mind the things He minded. Brethren, following Jesus, our Lord involves more than learning what he said — we know enough scriptures and theology already — but it calls for doing what He did, i.e., living the life He lived day by day.

The words of Mary Frank Kirkpatrick still rings bell in my memory. She told us that being a true disciple is not just being involved, but committing to take up our own daily cross and following Jesus to the very end. She admonished us to live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back again tomorrow. I’m positive that this was what Jesus meant when He first said, “Follow me.” And that is what He means today as we hear Him say the same to us. He never told us to gain a lot of head knowledge about Him. He called us, first, to be with Him. He commanded us to abide in Him. He admonished us to learn His meekness and take His yokes upon us. He asked us to deny ourselves daily and follow Him.

Quote for the Day: “Until our understanding of Christianity becomes that of the life of a true disciple; we will continue to amass knowledge of godliness while denying the power thereof.” (Simon Olatunji)

Prayer: Dear Lord, make me a true disciple. Help me to show others how to love. How to be, and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that You have commanded — in Jesus’ name. Amen.

With all my Love and Prayers,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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[Daily Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA distributed for free use by individuals, small groups, families, and Christian churches]

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